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Columbia County's Judge Blair Meets with Federal/State Officials

Little Rock, AR -- Columbia County Judge John Blair met today with federal officials in Little Rock to discuss the debris removal project underway due to the December ice storms.

The amount of debris removed in Columbia County has far surpassed that of the nine surrounding counties. Technical Assistance Coordinators are reviewing work done by the contractor, prior to any further payments. To date, $6.37 million has been disbursed to Columbia County as reimbursement for eligible debris removal.

"Columbia County suffered through two devastating ice storms in December and Judge Blair is to be commended for his hard work, and the work and dedication of county employees during the initial emergency and the months following," said Federal Coordinating Officer Joe D. Bray. "FEMA and the state want to give Columbia County everything they legally can under state and federal law."

David Maxwell, state coordination officer for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, also commended Judge Blair.

"Judge Blair came into office immediately after the ice storms and has worked closely with the state in this debris removal process. He has done a tremendous job for Columbia County in dealing with this disaster," he said.